Searching for a Job? Get the Most from Your Efforts

Opportunities

Combine personal opportunities with networking opportunities. When you are in a situation where discussing your career aspirations is not considered out of place, use that time as an opportunity to feel out possible job leads.

Oftentimes, having a family friend who has known you your entire life creates an additional upper-level reference. Internal references help ensure you are at least given the opportunity to interview, but almost all personal interactions can turn into a networking opportunity if you are willing to seize the moment.

Bring up work naturally in conversations with others by talking positively about their job. If your friend is happy where they work, there is a good chance you would enjoy working there, too.

Additionally, if you know someone who works for a company you like, ask them how they got hired. The more you know about the hiring process, the easier it will be for you to put your best self forward.

Searching for a job is a breeze, right? Not so much. Even in a field with a lower unemployment rate, like information technology, it still takes a lot of time-consuming work to find a job. You have to fine-tune your resume, network, search for jobs and interview. Then you have wait to hear back, all while doing it all over again and again. According to Heather Huhman, writing for Glassdoor.com, on average, it can take employers more than 26 working days to fill a job opening, leaving you in job limbo for weeks on end.

So what can you do to make the process a little less painful and a little more efficient? In this slideshow, Huhman has identified five steps that can further aid your job search, especially if you're short on time.